Riding out the housing market
Real-estate agents are ditching their suits and cars for helmets and bikes. The payoff? Eco-minded clients love it - plus the workout doesn’t hurt
KATHY FLAXMAN
From Monday’s Globe and Mail
September 15, 2008 at 9:04 AM EDT
Chris Chopik prides himself on being professional. So when he found himself red-faced and dripping with sweat at a recent meeting about green building issues with the Ontario Ministry of Finance, despite being in a business suit, he was a little embarrassed.
Bicycle Realtors: The Next Generation in Real Estate Marketing?
Bicycle Realtors: The Next Generation in Real Estate Marketing?
23rd July 2008
Author: M Shane
They’re mean. They’re green. And they’re going to help you buy your next house. There are a growing number of realtors who are taking green home buying to the next step and using bicycles to show their clients potential places to hang their helmets.
4th Annual Green Building Festival
Sept 9-10, 2008, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Join us at the 2008 Green Building Festival
Green Building Festival 2008 is a two day conference and expo highlighting Innovation in green building. Take an in-depth look at the real world impacts of green building, with comprehensive case studies, product analysis, visionary keynotes, and 100 exhibitors with ready-to-market green building solutions.
Mayor announces Live Green Toronto - a five-year program to inspire and support neighbourhood action
Mayor announces Live Green Toronto - a five-year program to inspire and support neighbourhood actions for a greener Toronto
Mayor David Miller joined thousands of Torontonians at the Green Toronto Festival today to announce the launch of Live Green Toronto - a major five-year, $20-million dollar program to promote and support neighbourhood and community-based actions to reduce emissions, clean our air and protect our climate.
Live Green Toronto will take action on climate change to a whole new level in Toronto once again making us a world-leading city on climate change, said Mayor Miller. The program provides the support, funding and expertise needed for grassroots community-based actions to cut greenhouse gases and clean our air. It is unique in that it will provide Torontonians with the opportunity to turn their great green ideas into action, resulting in the greening of our neighbourhoods and communities making Toronto the most liveable city it can be.
June 14th, 2008
“Strawberries & Asparagus” is a community celebration of all things green. This day-long festival in Toronto’s Cedarvale Park promotes public space, local and organic food, local sustainable business, nature appreciation, music, and fitness & health. Come along and enjoy
healthy snacks and solar ice cream
free activities for children and adults
live music on our solar stage
a marketplace for green businesses and environmental organizations
This not-for-profit event is organized each year by EvolutionGreen.Com and human capital partner Green Neighbours 21, a grass-roots environmental group in Toronto’s Ward 21.
There is also an Inorganic Market™ taking place – you can drop off used or broken electronic items for free recycling. Laptops, desktops, iPods, mp3 players, cell phones and more will be collected. Come out, meet the community, and enjoy the fun!
Sunday May 18, 2008 @ 7.00 pm
Location: 107 Everden Road
Cost: Free or small charge if we rent a larger space
Jeff McCormick of Toronto Water will come to speak to us about low water gardening. We may also have an expert come to speak to us about a sensitive issue to those of us who love mulch….is wood or bark mulch actually killing our soil? I may invite experts to discuss this problem…and the solutions…that night as well. This may be a larger event and we may hold it at the Wychwood Public Library. If so, there may be a small cost for this event to cover the room rental.
Leslie Roberts on CFRB 1010 with Chris Chopik Green Realtor
Leslie Roberts speaks with Green Realtor Chris Chopik
In honour of Earth Day, find out how to green out your home. Leslie Roberts speaks with Chris-Chopik, Green Realtor.
Royal LePage - Small Steps For big Changes in Green Real Estate
Small Steps for Big Change
When it comes to describing how green their current lifestyle is, 72 per cent of Canadians say they engage in traditional recycling practices. Making a difference can be as simple as implementing small environmentally friendly practices. The most popular green modifications that poll respondents already implement in their homes include switching from regular light bulbs to CFL light bulbs (74%), adding window and door sealers to prevent heat loss (61%) and switching to high efficiency washers and dryers and using low flow water fixtures (54%).
Being Green doesn’t always cost more...savy homeowners and investors love to save money and help the environment. See how easy it is to do by reading a recent story featured in the Toronto Sun on Recycled paint.
How Green Is My Realtor
By SARA SCHAEFER MUÑOZ
February 19, 2008; Page D1
The Wall Street Journal
Still, there are ways to check a real-estate agent’s earth-friendly credentials. And for consumers who don’t know much about green building or the recent proliferation of green construction labels, these brokers can be helpful, Mr. Hall says.
Many Realtors hope so. Green Key Real Estate in San Francisco asks on its site: “Wouldn’t you rather work with a Realtor who shares your values in environmental and social responsibility?” and sends its agents to environmentally friendly building courses. Last fall, Harry Norman Realtors in Atlanta had 48 Realtors certified by EcoBroker International, which educates Realtors on eco-friendly homes and marketing. Meanwhile, individual Realtors are carving “green” niches for themselves: Celeste Karan, of Keller Williams Realty in Chicago, started http://www.greenhomechicago.com, a site where she lists properties and promises “to help home buyers understand what truly constitutes a ‘green building.’”
Renovating is costly, but there are grant monies available from the Federal and Provincial governments. If you are renovating, you should be taking advantage of incentive programs including ecoEnergy. ecoEnergy offers grants for improving the systems of your house. As much as 10,000 dollars in grants are available for green home improvements ranging from high efficiency furnace replacement to caulking and sealing the air leaks in your home.
Hot Property – The David Suzuki Foundation Weighs in on Real Estate
According to the Suzuki report developers should consider the following in selecting a development site and establishing appropriate development;
“Whether the location is at risk from identified global warming impacts;
Whether Protective measures are in place or required to protect the property against the existing impact; and
Whether these measures take identified climate impacts into account.”
Wind power has huge potential as a clean energy source in Ontario. Carefully planned wind development, combined with other renewable sources like hydro, solar and biomass, can help Ontario go a long way toward replacing dirty coal power. A coalition of wind power developers in Ontario has developed a new website, isupportwindpower.com, to demonstrate that people across Ontario are keen to tap into the power blowing in the wind. If you think wind power should be a significant part of Ontario’s energy mix, we encourage you to visit the site and register your support.
EvolutionGreen is committed to helping home owners, developers and Realtors to understand that green is good for property value and for the value of local communities and local economies.
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Chris Chopik
Director of Evolution and Realtor
Chris is a Toronto Real Estate Board Instructor
Email or call Chris at 416-993-4870
if you want to discuss real estate issues
Green Real Estate Training
or Green Building Consultation Services
Interested in getting involved or have a question for our team? Contact us at: info@evolutiongreen.com
